Baltimore Basketball Phenom Aquille Carr is Struggling to Find a Foothold in the Pros

Aquille Carr, a former Patterson High School point guard, was a YouTube sensation in high school. But since skipping college to go pro last year, Carr has struggled to find a home.

Over the weekend, he was cut by the Canadian professional league’s St. John Mill Rats. In a message Carr posted on Twitter, Carr’s coach said the team’s owners decided to “blow the whole team up and start over.”

Before that, the 21-year-old was passed over in the NBA Draft, played in China and had a brief stint in the NBA’s D-League. Vice Sports’ Sam Riches caught up with Carr in an article published today that reveals the many elements beyond talent required to make it in today’s NBA.

The article chronicles the brief but tumultuous journey of the 5 ft. 6 in. high school legend, who was known around Baltimore as the “Crimestopper” and had an Under Armour endorsement before leaving high school. Beyond navigating around the tall guys in the lane, Carr has also struggled with the murder of his cousin, and a suspension after he couldn’t keep his emotions in check.

Carr turned down an offer to play college ball at Seton Hall, so there’s obviously a point where Riches could question his decision making. But the writer offers no easy answers about getting to the NBA. He also brings in Carr’s fellow Baltimore phenom, Josh Selby. He went to college at Kansas and entered the NBA Draft. But even after being one of the top picks, he’s now playing in Israel.